Hope of Dreams
by Starpiplup
Summary: A small child wakes up in a world he's destined to save. Along the way, he makes great friends and wicked enemies. Fantasy AU inspired partly by TKCD.
1. Prologue

Every single writing tip I've found on Pinterest says that starting a story with backstory is boring. Too bad, you get it anyways.

* * *

Many years ago, the country of Dreamland was at peace, ruled by a wise king and queen. Dreamland was full of many riches and resources, but most importantly, it held the legendary Fountain of Dreams.

The fountain created the dreams of all the world's citizens. Only a select few were allowed to see it, as it needed to be protected. One touch from a user of dark magic would taint the fountain forever, causing endless nightmares and despair.

One unfortunate day, this came true.

A malevolent sorcerer named Dark Mind watched the kingdom from afar, eager to get his hands on the riches that lay within the land. He and his two powerful sons, Nightmare and Zero, attacked Dreamland with their army of demons. Dreamland had no means of defending itself, and quickly succumbed to the attack. The king and queen were executed, and Dark Mind took their place.

Nightmare, however, had ulterior motives. He knew about the Fountain of Dreams, and quickly went to corrupt it. One dip of his finger, and the water turned black. Satisfied, he went to go celebrate with his family.

The next morning, when he woke up, he felt a surge of power in his veins. His father and brother were still weakened by the battle they had waged the day prior, and Nightmare saw a chance.

He mercilessly killed them both.

From that day forward, Nightmare reigned as King of Dreamland. As long as the people suffered from his curse on the fountain, he never aged, and retained his near godly powers. Generations passed, and the people lost hope of ever dreaming peacefully again.

Fate, however, knew that they would.


	2. Chapter One

Wow, 2,000+ words in one setting! I've done this before but without a goal in mind it was kinda hard. I'm kinda making this up as I go, which is honestly not a good idea.

Here, we meet Kirby and his new family: Dedede, The Ripple Star Fairies, Bandana, and Sailor!

* * *

The child opened his eyes, satisfied with how soundly he had slept. It wasn't until a few seconds later that he realized he had no idea where he was.

The bed underneath him was lumpy, and the blankets on top of him scratched at his bare feet. A lit candle crackled and popped in the corner, casting a dim glow in the dark room. A conversation came from behind the wooden door.

A booming voice spoke first. "I'm telling you, I just found him in the stable."

"What were you doing in the stable?" A second voice added. This one was female.

"Uh… nothing."

"You stole some apples, didn't you?"

"I was hungry!"

"We're _all_ hungry, Dedede!"

The doorknob jiggled, and the door creaked open. A woman with a giant pair of circular glasses peeked in. Above her was a man with scruffy facial hair and a red cap.

"Dedede, it looks like he's awake." The woman opened the door the rest of the way, and walked over to the child's side. She knelt down to talk to him, but the child ended up with two black braids on his face.

The woman quickly swept her hair behind her back. "Oh goodness, sorry. I have really long hair."

The man walked over to the woman's side, and the child got a good view of just how plump the man was.

"You really need a haircut," He said.

The woman ignored him, and continued talking to the child.

"I'm Ripple, and this is Dedede." She pointed to the man beside her, who was fiddling with her hair. "What's your name?"

"Kirby." The child sat upright, almost hitting Ripple in the head.

"Kirby," Ripple said, "Where are your parents?"

Kirby thought for a second. He didn't remember anything before waking up in this bed. The feeling he had gotten when he had woken up made him feel like there was something missing from his memories. He tried to tell Ripple and Dedede, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was a small "poyo".

"Poyo? What on Popstar does that mean?" Dedede said.

"Poyo."

"Is that all you can say?" Ripple asked.

Kirby nodded.

"Well, he understands us fine, but he can't seem to speak much." Ripple got up and tugged on Dedede's arm. "Let's talk about this outside."

Dedede took a glance at the child, then followed Ripple out. The door closed softly behind them.

Kirby got out from beneath the covers so he could explore his surroundings. The wooden floor chilled his feet as he walked over to the door, slowly turning the knob and following the two adults.

Dedede and Ripple stood in the middle of a row of beds. In the beds were children right around Kirby's age, most older than him. They were all sleeping through the conversation between the adults.

"Alright, he can stay with us until his parents come. I'm not happy with you for not checking for any adults and just taking him though."

"I didn't see anyone around, and kids don't usually end up alone in stables when they have parents, so I thought I might as well take him to an orphanage. After all, I trust you."

"I trust you too, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have waited."

Kirby let out a small poyo, and the two adults turned their heads in his direction.

"Oh, Kirby, you'll be staying with us. This is a home for kids who… lost their parents. Dedede grew up here." Ripple went over and took Kirby's hand. "You're safe here. We promise."

* * *

The next morning, Kirby woke up to a bunch of girls crowded around the bed he had been assigned.

"New kid!"

"He's got pink hair like you!"

"Wonder when he got here!"

Kirby freaked out and flailed his arms. The other children all ran back to their beds.

"What was that for?" One asked.

Before Kirby could say "poyo", two orange haired children walked up the stairs. They both had flour stains all over their clothes and even their faces.

"Breakfast is ready," The one with a blue bandana said. All the children cheered and ran downstairs, nearly knocking over the other two children. When the two regained their balance, they looked at Kirby with inviting smiles.

"That means you too! Come on!"

Kirby jumped out of bed. His stomach rumbled at the thought of freshly baked bread. When he reached the stairs, the other two children walked down with him.

"I'm Bandana," The one with the bandana said, "And this is my twin Sailor. We're both twelve years old."

Kirby nodded at both of them, then ran down to get a seat at the crowded table. Ripple cut one slice of bread for everyone, then covered it it strawberry jam. She placed each slice on a plate, then handed it out to the children.

"Everyone, thank Sailor and Bandana for helping me make the bread this morning." Ripple set the plate down in front of Kirby, who quickly devoured it. His mouth and fingers ended up covered in the sticky red jam.

"Woah, he ate it so fast!" Said a girl from across the table.

"We hadn't even thanked anyone yet!" Said another one of the girls.

Ripple looked back at Kirby's plate. "Wow, what a quick eater! Just don't eat anyone else's bread, this is all we have."

Kirby, upon hearing "this is all we have", frowned. He was still hungry, and he watched in jealousy as the other children ate their bread.

"We get free rations from the King, but he never gives us enough." Ripple passed out the last plate, then sat down to eat her own. "We're lucky, though. Most people have to pay for their food. The only reason we get it free is because I technically work for him."

One of the children spoke up. "Yeah, but Miss Ripple, you said you hate-"

"Shhhh!" Ripple, Bandana, and Sailor all interrupted the child. Said child sat back down in her seat.

"If one of the guards hears that, we won't get any food anymore!" Sailor said.

Bandana sat down and took a bite of his bread. He glanced out the window across the room, then turned back to Ripple. "Dedede already risks it by stealing food and supplies."

"I usually wouldn't condone it, but since it's for survival, I'll let it pass," Ripple said. "Adeleine and Fluff's care packages are good, but they're not nearly enough."

The children started to talk about the two that had just been mentioned. Confused, Kirby tilted his head.

"Adeleine and Fluff are kids who used to live here with us," Sailor said. She took a sip of her apple juice, then continued. "When we reach the age of thirteen, we get sent to become apprentices. After all, the king doesn't want to help anyone unless they're useful to him. Adeleine got sent to the Artist's guild, and Fluff got sent to the tailor."

Ripple stood up and pushed in her chair. "Speaking of those two, I have some thank you letters I need delivered to them. I'm busy with the rest of the children, so Bandana, could you and Kirby take it? I think Kirby might recognize someone if he walks with you."

Bandana nodded, and Ripple went upstairs. The children got up and tugged on Bandana's clothes, begging to go with him.

"Sorry guys, I don't make the rules," He said. "Maybe next time."

Sailor picked up a book and told the kids she would read them a chapter if they stayed put. They all left Bandana's side and swarmed around Sailor. Kirby figured they liked whatever book Sailor was reading.

Ripple came back downstairs and handed Bandana the two letters. "Both the tailor and the guild are in the marketplace. Make sure you two come back by lunch, ok? Ribbon gets worried about you easily."

"Ok!" Bandana took Kirby's hand and lead him to the door. "Alright, let's go on an adventure!"

* * *

The marketplace smelled like old clothes, fresh food, and flowers. Merchants sold their wares at colorful stalls, decorated with the finest drapes they could afford. The roar of the nearby canal and the clanks of the horse drawn wagons overpowered the chatter of the crowds. Despite all the clutter, the streets were clean of all mess. The magical sanitation systems kept them from being dirty, and also kept the water drinkable.

Kirby looked all around at his new surroundings. The hallhouses were so close to each other that they looked like one big house. In the middle of the sandstone paved square sat a small green area with a stage. Beyond that was a bridge, and beyond that bridge sat a magnificent dark castle. It didn't fit in very well with the light colors of the village, as it seemed almost threatening compared to the village's comforting feel. He tugged on Bandana's arm and pointed to the castle with the other.

"Oh, that's where the king lives. Some say it used to look a lot different when he wasn't ruling, but no one's been alive that long. Except the King, of course."

If Kirby could speak, he would have asked how that was possible. Instead, he kept walking alongside Bandana.

He wondered why he couldn't talk. Was it something he had been born with? Had something happened before he lost his memory? He looked down at the small plants cracking through the stones. Maybe he would outgrow this, just like the plants growing through the barriers that kept them from the sun.

Of course, he didn't think of a metaphor like that, as he was just a child. Instead, he saw a squirrel, and had an urge to chase it.

All of a sudden, the clangs of armor could be heard. A crowd grew around something, and Kirby, curious as ever, broke free of Bandana's grasp. He ducked under all the people, worming his way to the inside. Standing a good ten feet from the crowd was a knight in magenta armor. He held his lance out at a man who had fallen on the ground.

"I believe that's treason." The knight said.

The man in the ground trembled. "Please, I have nothing to do with them-"

"Anyone suspected of aiding the rebellion will be arrested. If you attempt escape, you will be killed with no questions." The knight lowered his lance. "Come with me, and you may live to see the next few days."

The man slowly got up, shaking with every quick step he took. Murmurs arose from the crowd.

Kirby felt someone grab his shoulder and flinched. He turned around to see it was only Bandana, out of breath and troubled.

"Goodness, Kirby, you scared me," He said. "Come on, let's go."

The crowd dispersed, and the two walked over to a building with paint on the walls. A wooden sign hung over the entrance, engraved with pictures of an artist's tools.

"Here's the Artist's guild. Adeleine should be available." Bandana opened the door and walked into the building. It had a damp feel to it, whether it be from the clay or the wet paint. A girl in a green dress and red beret painted a sign above the stairwell.

"Hey, Adeleine!" Bandana shouted. The girl almost fell off of the ladder she was standing on. Bandana ran over to aid her, and Kirby followed.

"Bandana! You surprised me," Adeleine said. Her short black hair and her face were covered in paint splatters. She looked at Kirby. "Hi there! What's your name?"

"This is Kirby. He's staying with us." Bandana handed her the letter. "It's from Mom, as a thanks for sending us supplies."

Adeleine opened it and read it. Bandana and Kirby waited, Bandana fidgeting with the other letter.

Adeleine looked up and smiled. "Aww, tell her thanks! Oh, and also tell her it's ok she couldn't give me anything in return. I know how much you guys need what you get." She glanced at the other letter. "That's for Fluff, isn't it?"

Bandana nodded. "Since you both pitched in for the care packages."

Adeleine's face fell. "I'll give it to him later. He's really busy, because his boss is… demanding."

"Speaking of demanding," Bandana said, "I just heard Galacta make another arrest. I didn't see who it was, but I know they must be innocent."

"There's been more and more arrests lately. The King is getting desperate."

"Well, if you weren't a nice person and people were trying to overthrow you, wouldn't you be scared?" Bandana whispered.

"It's not even safe to talk about."

Neither of them spoke for a bit.

"Well, you better be getting home soon. After all, I don't want anything to happen to you guys." Adeleine picked up her pallette and climbed back on the ladder. "Seriously, stay safe."

"We will!" Bandana said. And with that, they were off.


End file.
